Results, rather than performances, have to be the priority between now and the end of the season, according to Town defender Christophe Berra.

He said: “At this stage of the season, with 13 games left, it’s all about results and picking up points. We want to put in good performances as well for our fans but I think if we walk away with three points at the end the fans will be happy.”

While Town remain very much in contention for a play-off place — they are currently ninth, four points adrift of sixth-placed Sheffield Wednesday, but have a game in hand on the Owls — it has not escaped Berra and his colleagues’ attention that a section of supporters have expressed their dissatisfaction with the quality of football on offer.

Berra added: “Obviously, there has been a bit of frustration, more so because we’ve not been winning at home so often and have drawn more games at Portman Road than we did last season.

“I think the league is a bit more competitive this season, mainly because so many teams are spending big money to improve their squads.

“We have been faltering a bit but we have been hit by a number of injuries, which is something we just have to deal with.

“We’re not world beaters and we’ve got to be a bit level-headed and realise where we’ve come from.

“We’re all down to earth guys who don’t get carried away. We’re not Arsenal so we’re not going to go and outplay teams and be on the front foot the whole game.

“This league is so competitive — the teams at the bottom can beat those at the top — and it’s about who takes their chances on the day or who gets a little bit of luck along the way. It’s very fine margins.

“We obviously had a dip in form recently. We always want to play as well as we can in every game but, let’s be honest, the other team is out to stop us doing that.

“It’s a very competitive league and just three years ago Ipswich were down at the bottom but for the last two years we’ve been fighting to get promotion.

“Expectations have risen and fans expect the best, which we fully understand and that’s what we are trying to do.”

Town’s hopes of at least emulating last season’s sixth-place finish were boosted at the weekend when they won 1-0 at Huddersfield, not only ending a miserable run of three successive defeats but also collecting their first clean sheet in nine games since the 0-0 stalemate at Burnley in the first game of 2016.

Berra said: “It was obviously good to keep a clean sheet after a run of games without one.

“We conceded two set-piece goals at Bristol and a late one right at the end at QPR after we’d defended well and their keeper did really well.

“I want clean sheets as a defender and the team wants them too so it was good to get one at Huddersfield and hopefully we’ll get another one on Saturday against Nottingham Forest.

“With a lot of our good results away from home we have scored early doors and just defended and been hard to beat.

“We’ve got one of the best away records in the league — I looked at the table the other day and the only team with more away points than us is Middlesbrough — but our home record is nowhere near as good as last year.

“But whereas last year we were really good at Portman Road, our away record was not the best. This season it has turned the other way.

“Against Hull last week it was a tight game against a very strong side. There wasn’t much in it to be honest but maybe we switched off from a counter-attack and a bit of quality from their goalscorer was enough to win it for them and keep them on top of the league.”

Photo: Action Images

Dissboyitfc added 07:04 - Mar 4 I just watched the under 21's goal against bristol city in which there were 49 passes by ourselves which lead to a corner and a headed goal( a better corner kick than is normally delivered by the first team). Was a joy to watch, why cant the first team pass the ball like that? Back in the day ipswich teams all the way through from the youngsters to the first teamers were taught to play the ipswich way so the transition was seemless when it came to playing for the first team. This doesnt seem to be the way anymore, first team just lauch it, why? I urge anybody who hasnt seen to watch. Yes points are the main aim, but it doesnt need to be at the expense of passing football, does it?

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essex57 added 07:53 - Mar 4 Back in the old days yawn yawn
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essex57 added 07:55 - Mar 4 Good article weighs up where we are exactly a true bit of realism which unfortunately has been sorely lacking on the news site these last few months.
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Currie10 added 07:55 - Mar 4 I really do not get why we're quite as obsessed with quality passing footy as we are. Surely the results have to be the main objective!? Don't get me wrong, I'd love us to play better quality footy but if we went for a passing game with the players we have we'd be a lot lower down in the table. I was at Huddersfield, who played much better footy - I'd rather have the three points and a chance of play offs than play good stuff and have a season going nowhere. Under Jewell and Magilton I often felt hard done by walking out the ground after we outplayed the opposition but got zero points. Our style by contrast was ugly / borderline " what are we playing at " but we hardly let them in bar the 1 v 1 at the start and Chambers miss kick five yard out that almost spelt disaster! As for that 49 passes - firstly, it resulted in a corner and secondly we went back to the goalkeeper. It's not as if they are all probing passes.

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Hegansheroes added 07:58 - Mar 4 Actually essex 57-yawn , yawn yawn always at your comments. Sounds like the only coaching MM gives is how to talk to the media in the same tedious way he does
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Penguinblue added 08:03 - Mar 4 Of course we all want to make the play offs, anything other is failure. But don't delude yourself that hoofball is acceptable. You have gone down in my estimation by towing hoofball McCarthy's line.
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essex57 added 08:22 - Mar 4 Currie good post not many on here will agree unfortunately they live in a time warp that hasn't past 1981
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LordMamu added 09:09 - Mar 4 Utter drivel - passing football and results are not mutually exclusive. We just have a manager (and now it appears at least one player) who believes (wrongly) that they are despite the vast evidence that points to the contrary.
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TractorClarke added 09:14 - Mar 4 Whilst i am more than happy for Ipswich to play poor football at the moment as results are the most important thing and we want promotion. However we are playing badly and also not getting the results. Its one thing to say results are more important than performance, its another making that a reality on the pitch. I have no doubt the team works very hard in games, they do but if we are going to wax lyrical about grinding out results then please make it so. I am itfc through and through but i am really struggling to see that we are going to make it to the playoffs and even then we are going to have to perform a shed load better than we have been to get through the payoffs and promotion. I am a big fan of Micks and he will always have my support whilst at the helm, and we have a lot to thank him for in steadying the ship and getting us out of a relegation dog fight a few seasons ago. But please lets play players where they should play, sears was the spear head of attack and scoring goals, he then gets moved out wide and shock horror stops scoring. I just want players in the right position, more wing play with balls crossed in the box, and a defence that maintains concentration for the entire game (understanding there will be some human error naturally) You can not argue that Mick has his favorites, in my opinion if you are playing well then you keep your place, sears should never have been moved out wide to accomodate Murphy and Pitman. Both can score goals i do not deny that and i am a big fan of Pitman, he is a goal scorer, but it seems everything needs to change to make sure a certain player is on the pitch. I also think Parr should have been made our right back and chambers and Berra in the middle. Douglas and Skuse should never be the central pair, it should be Skuse and either Bishop (Injured of course) or Bru, if you need to sub then Douglas for Skuse and bishop for bru etc you get the idea. That way we have one central hard working player who does the dirty work, and a creative midfielder who can worry about spreading player and getting the ball to the attacking players. I dont think the best 11 have been determined and nailed down all season i really dont, how do we go from a really solid defence last season for the most part, to a leaky shambles this season. And i will not buy its because we sold Mings because left back is the only change, and the central two were working well, why that is different now who knows. Any typical Ipswich fan always something to moan about, but behind it all i love the team and the club and the reason i moan is because i care. I also realise i am no expert, Mick has far more experience then i ever will but i watch the games and i see problems as a lot of fans do, i am realistic though, keep the faith i guess.

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IpswichT62OldBoy added 09:26 - Mar 4 The 5-1 defeat to Reading was massive, we were playing fast flowing football up until then, though we did give two points away at Brentford. It seems the emphasis then shifted to defending more solidly,and I think that did happen, we were pretty consistent if average. We miss Fraser, no surprise, there is no denying the football is often not pretty, we can play in spells and occasional games, Leeds for example, but it boils down to a difficult balance for fans and the team. Points or performance, I know they aren't mutually exclusive but it is rare to see. We should be striving for that and I think, hope, we are. Lets see how we play once Bishop, McGolderick, Skuse etc are returned to fitness. We are at least in touching distance and have something to focus on and hope for other than relegation.

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essexboy added 09:40 - Mar 4 Everybody is talking about'when fraser,Bishop,Scuse,and big Mc return' But the big question is When will they return.Bishop has not played all season and Mc also has not played for ages and we also have no idea when RF will be fit.We are running out of games now.The fit squad we have available at the moment is just not big or strong enough without the injured players and with games now coming up thick and fast one wonders just how good we will fair.Let's just hope we can get a good result against Forrest tomorrow.

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TR11BLU added 10:23 - Mar 4 Results, rather than performances, have to be the priority between now and the end of the season, according to Town defender Christophe Berra. So when did the emphasis change from the performance being important???
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TimmyH added 11:27 - Mar 4 We played good passing football under Royle, Burley, Lyle etc. so we're not really harping back to 1981 are we essex57...a majority of the teams that get promoted from this division play fairly like minded football whether the club is smaller than us or bigger. But at this present time maybe results are more important than performances if it means we get back in the 'mix' for the play-offs but to do that by and large performances have to improve to go on a relatively good run in order to obtain this.

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derby123 added 13:23 - Mar 4 I agree to a point timmy h regarding royle, however we also played route 1 as well I don't think anyone can deny that. I also agree that the reading game was the turning point we were woeful that night and cut open time and time again with a very average side. People can moan about the style of play etc and yes it isn't pretty but in general we look more solid. With the current personnel avaliable I feel this is the best option. If we of had a fit bish, didz and fraser all season I do feel the football would have been more entertaining. Any side would miss such players and I think we're done well to still be in contention, many sides wouldn't have cooed.

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Dissboyitfc added 17:20 - Mar 4 Currie... have you been to a game when an itfc first team have strung together 49 passes? No, i didnt think so. We all support the town, but the blindness shown by some people is beyond words. I find it almost funny when there is something positive to report on and certain people dismiss it. PRICELESS! what exactly is wrong with tradition and principals, they are how you get on in life and also in sport and many of lifes other pursuits!

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derby123 added 18:12 - Mar 4 Dissboy it was a great goal and a joy to watch. You talk about principles and tradition my take on it is this. I travel to around 20 plus games a season home and away from derby at great cost and have done for many seasons now. Until mick arrived had I enjoyed going in the last 10 or so years no I hadn't but I still went. We played some nice football now and then but generally we had a soft underbelly and lost more often than not and got hammered on more than one occasion. I was sick to death of travelling back on the train after a defeat with opposition managers praise saying what a nice club ipswich are and how we play football the right way. What good has that done us? Nowadays I've got my love of going to watch us again is it pretty no it isn't in general. But what entertains me is having something to play for in march and April. Since royle left how often could we say that? I enjoy hearing sour grapes from managers after were beaten them on the way home not the kind words after were been bullied again. What I've heard today is people saying they would rather us lose playing nice football than win playing ugly. If that's the case go and support Barcelona. I would much rather see us pushing for the play offs playing ugly than sitting in mid table in march with nothing to play for. Micks got his faults and he annoys me with his stubbornness at times. But I'm grateful we have him and what he's done for us turning us into a competive side in this league. I look at sides like forest, Leeds etc sides with proud traditions and with similar squads. Look at those sides pretty sure they

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derby123 added 18:14 - Mar 4 Would swap places with us.
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Dissboyitfc added 19:17 - Mar 4 deby123...a very good and well balanced post, its refreshing to read an opinion that differs from my own but where an informative reflection is given. I see your points and i wouldnt dismiss them all in fact many have real substance, but i feel embarrassed by our football. I wouldnt mind if it lead to some sort of success (well not as much, maybe) but i dont consider mid table safety an ongoing success story. We have the potential, we have a great a fantastic fan base, a fan base that deserves better.

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TimmyH added 20:11 - Mar 4 We were fairly close to the play-offs with Magilton and had interest going into April unfortunately then 2 complete muppets then managed the club after him and the only interest going into April/May was if we could escape relegation and 1 as we all know thinks he knows everything as he's a TV analyst. Managing a club and picking teams apart on Champions league highlights are two different things altogether!

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armchaircritic59 added 22:27 - Mar 4 derby123 Did i read that correctly? "What i've heard today is people saying they would rather us lose playing nice football than win playing ugly. If that's the case go and support Barcelona"! To be fair, i think i know what you meant! However, on that note, and in my opinion, Barcelona play simple football (ie, good technique, comfortable on the ball and can pass accurately) to the highest level. There's nothing mystical about it. High class coaching allied to natural talent. Unfortunately there's a severe lack of the former in this country.

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